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REPORT: Spurs won't trade Kawhi to a Western Conference team

According to one report, the only serious trade offers that the Spurs are considering are from Eastern Conference teams.

If certain reports are to be believed, Kawhi Leonard wants to play for the Lakers. But until he hits free agency, the San Antonio Spurs control his destiny.

As a result, a report from Chris Sheridan at GetMoreSports.com says that the Spurs won’t trade Kawhi to a Western Conference team.

This makes sense not just because the Spurs wouldn’t want to give a team in their own conference a better chance of beating them in the regular season and playoffs but also because, as we’ve pointed out before, the only team in the West that has enough assets to trade with the Spurs doesn’t have the chips that the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers do.

That’s why, among the best things noted in this report is what Vegas oddsmakers say about where Kawhi might be playing this upcoming season.

Because of the horde of draft picks and cheap, young talent the Celtics have, they’re the favorites at +200. The 76ers are stacked with 2018 picks and some young parts as well, so they’re at +300.

But the Spurs aren’t far behind at +500. The two biggest factors are two things that aren’t going away any time soon: 1) Gregg Popovich is still the head coach. And if you remember, we all thought LaMarcus Aldridge might be dealt in a draft deal last season before a one-on-one with Pop convinced LA to not only stay but also got him to sign an extension that led to his best year as a pro last season. 2) The supermax.

Kawhi leaving the Spurs represents a loss in potential earnings of tens of millions of dollars that he won’t be able to get anywhere else.

So while Spurs fans and us in the media may be on the edge of our seats waiting for a trade announcement involving Leonard and the Spurs, we could get a repeat of what happened last year, with no news.

And for Spurs fans that haven’t burned their Kawhi jerseys, no news is good news.

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